


the manifesto on how to be talented

by mysterytwin



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Gen, Reveal, a lot of internal monologue, ladrien, pretty casual stuff really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 19:18:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6870148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysterytwin/pseuds/mysterytwin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrien considers himself to be talentless to the talented and talented to the talentless. Ladybug shows him that maybe he's neither.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the manifesto on how to be talented

He's always felt this way, to the point he's slightly used to it. Slightly. It's a small feeling that grows on him when he can't sleep at night, and sometimes he finds himself desperately wanting to sleep just to escape the feeling. The feeling is, what Adrien likes to call it, being talentless. 

He models, he can play the piano, he fences—but what is talent? He's looked it up and it says it's _a special ability that allows someone to do something well_. But these things, the things his father forces him to do, they've been taught to him. When he was first introduced to them, he was horrible at them. But gradually, he grew better. And Adrien thought that maybe he could have a talent. 

Then shortly after this moment of recognition, the thought came to him. He's talented to the talentless and talentless to the talented—it confuses him at first, if he was being honest. It makes sense, and it scares him. What does that mean then? That he's boringly average? 

To people who are talented—people like Nino, Alya, Marinette—he can't compete. It's obvious to him that they have one special thing inside of them. (Adrien didn't like considering that he was multi-talented, it just didn't seem right.) To people who aren't talented—screw it, he can't really think of anyone who _didn't_ have a talent in his class—he _seemed_ talented. But he wasn't. 

Playing the piano, fencing, modeling. Those are skills. Things that are taught to him. He isn't born with them. (Good looks? Does that even count as a talent?) It isn't like Nino, who had told him that even as a baby, he wanted to DJ music. It isn't like Alya, who showed that she already had a thing for the Internet at such a young age. It isn't like Marinette either, who he was told had gotten her first sewing machine when she was five years old. He isn't like that. He's different. 

What is he good at then?

Adrien sighs, looking up at the night sky. He remembers seeing more stars than this, before light pollution became a big issue. The stars might have it better than him. 

The night's dead silent, save from the few cars that run across the street. It's okay, that's the way Adrien wants to spend his night pondering on what his purpose in life is. 

Of course, he's Chat Noir. He saves the people of Paris from akumas. There's that. But anyone could have been chosen as a superhero, even Ladybug knows it. He's not special. 

Speaking of her, there's a building in front of his house, and Adrien can see a figure running across it. It's her, he thinks to himself immediately. It's weird, since neither of them are supposed to have patrol that night. 

Then Ladybug does something that will confuse him until the morning comes. 

She stops, staring right at him. At least that's what he thinks she's doing. Adrien wonders if she's going to swing over. She does. With a quick flick of her wrist and throw of her yo-yo, she lands next to him on his balcony. 

"Hi," she says quietly, not really meeting his eyes. 

For some reason, his heart doesn't beat as fast as it usually does when she's around. He doesn't think it's because he doesn't like her anymore. Maybe it's just because he's thinking about other things. She's just a person right now, a friend who doesn't know that he's secretly her best friend. 

"Hi," he replies, passing a small smile. "What made you come over?"

"You looked a little sad," says Ladybug. He can't see if she's blushing. "I don't have night vision like Chat does, but I don't usually see people up on their balconies at midnight."

He grins for two reasons. One is because she mentioned his alter ego, and two is because he's glad she came by. 

"Are you out on patrol?" he asks, watching her rest her arms on the railing. 

She shakes her head, a few pieces of her hair escaping and flying around messily. "I just wanted some fresh air. How about you, Adrien?"

His heart does a little something when she says his name. He's a little speechless for a while. "Just thinking."

She doesn't look at him when she says, "Fair enough. If you don't mind, what are you thinking about?"

He chuckles softly. "Never knew you were a curious bug." He can't see her face but he knows she's smiling. 

"Comes with the package of being a superhero, I guess."

Adrien wonders if he should tell her. She's his partner, even though she doesn't know that. If he can't trust Ladybug, then what's the point in trusting anyone at all?

"Do you have a talent?" he asks. It's a bold move; maybe he can learn a thing or two about her tonight. 

It catches her slightly off guard. She hesitates a little before speaking. "Yes. Well, I'm not quite sure if you can consider it as a talent, but yes. I think I do."

He nods, refusing to meet her gaze. "How do you think a person who has no clue what his talent is would feel if he was surrounded with talented people every day of his life?" His hands grip the railing a little too hard. 

It's so quiet that he can hear her breath hitch a little. "Adrien, you have a talent! You—you—you're a great model!" she exclaimed frantically. Adrien knows she's trying and he's grateful for that. 

He turns to look at her, a small sigh escaping his lips. "Modeling isn't a talent. Good looks? That doesn't really help. Sure, I can play the piano, but I'm not as good as others. I can barely keep up with my teacher nowadays. Fencing? I learned how to do it, I wasn't born good at it." There's a little disbelief in his voice, and he hopes it doesn't crack. 

Her eyes soften. "Adrien…" murmurs Ladybug. He moves his gaze to the front, staring at the building ahead. 

"You're amazing, okay? You don't need a talent to feel special. You can do other things. If you aren't born with something you feel is great, then make your own." 

Adrien knows that she's trying to be gentle, that she's trying to show that she cares. He only wishes that he can believe what she's saying. 

The beep of her earrings tell her that she has to go. Being Ladybug has its limits, and she can't abuse it. He knows that. 

"I—" she tries to say before he interrupts her. 

He gives her a soft smile before saying, "I know."

She breathes deeply. Another beep. "Look, Adrien. I can't promise that you'll find your talent, but I can promise you that I can help you make your own."

He shakes his head. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Ladybug."

She says two words before she throws her yo-yo into the sky and swings away, leaving Adrien standing alone on his balcony, wondering what she meant. 

"I'm not."

* * *

He feels as gloomy as he did the night before, which doesn't help him focus in class. Nino's dozing away next to him, so that takes out talking to his best friend. Although, he can hear the sound of Marinette writing behind him. (He's glad he gets to keep the sensitive hearing even when he's not Chat Noir.) He wonders what she's writing. 

The bell rings sooner than Adrien anticipates it to, but that doesn't mean he isn't relieved. He starts packing his things when he sees a small slip of paper in his bag, recalling if he ever put it there. He picks it up, reading the words. 

_You are talented. Just make the talent your own. You help people even if you don't like them, and that takes a lot of effort. You're sweet and thoughtful and maybe you don't need to be born with a talent. You know why? Because you made one yourself. And I think that's more special and unique than anyone else._

Ladybug? But how could she have put this there? Did she go to the same class? How—?

"You coming, dude?" asks Nino. 

Adrien's eyes snap up, and he forces a smile. "Nah, you can go ahead."

Nino nods and leaves the room, instead walking towards Alya and throwing an arm over her shoulder. He shakes his head, knowing how much of a dork Nino could be around his girlfriend.

His eyes trails back the piece of paper in his hand. He reads the words over and over and over, wondering how the hell Ladybug got it into his bag. 

"I told you I would keep my promise," a voice says quietly from behind him. 

Adrien turns around, his eyes landing on the one and only Marinette. Does that mean she's—

"Ladybug?" he asks, obviously surprised. Because how could he have seen this? Marinette, the shy but lovable girl who always sat behind him in class—she's Ladybug, his best friend and partner. So maybe it's obvious and maybe Adrien's just oblivious. But this—this is the best thing that's ever happened to him. 

"Hi, Adrien," she replies, sounding a little bit more like Ladybug. Or did she always sound like Ladybug? Maybe he just never noticed. "Or Chat. It's nice seeing you even though there's no akuma around."

Wait. "You knew?" asks Adrien. How did she know but he didn't? How did she figure it out?

Marinette's cheeks turn a little pink. A little flustered, she nods, "Yeah. I hope it's okay, I didn't think it was fair that I knew but you didn't—"

Adrien hugs her, his arms wrapping around her. " _It's you. It's always been you_."

She whispers, "You're not disappointed that it's me? Clumsy Marinette?"

He lets go, his hands resting on her shoulders. "Why on earth would I be disappointed? The two girls that I love turn out to be the same person."

Her eyes widen. "I—"

"Thank you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng," he grins at her. "How did you find out?"

Her cheeks turn pink again, and she doesn't meet his eyes. "It was your laugh. The first time we met, you laughed when the umbrella closed on me. And that night, when we were out on patrol, you laughed so hard. It's hard to forget a laugh that sounds like that. A laugh that sounds like Christmas carols and family dinners and afternoons with friends. It's hard to forget your laugh, Adrien."

He's a little dumbstruck. And he falls in love with her more a little bit. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"You are, too. Especially since you think you're talentless. But you're not. You have a talent greater than anyone I know. You're special, in your own Adrien way."

Another smile creeps onto Adrien's face and he hugs her again. "Thank you."

"You're special, too, Marinette," he says as he lets go. She smiles. 

Adrien learns two things that day. The first is that Marinette is Ladybug and Ladybug is Marinette. The second is that he's special, with a talent or not.

And he's okay with that.

**Author's Note:**

> hmu at superishs.tumblr.com!!


End file.
